Shin Kamen Rider might have the darker tone that Shotaro Ishinomori had intended for the TV show, but that doesn't mean it eschews the goofy moments of levity from the Showa era.
Unmarked spoilers below.
The film
- While it was also an alarming sight in the middle of the chase, it's pretty hilarious that Kumo Aug had a bunch of trucks stacked up on each other down the highway, to roadblock Takeshi and Ruriko. The viewer can actually see his webbing tying the trucks down before the explosives go off.
- When formally introducing herself to Hongo, Ruriko bluntly establishes that she's already familiar with him by listing off his traits, including that he has a "communication disorder" note , that he is unemployed as a result, and that motorcycles are his only interest. Hongo only sheepishly glances at Dr. Midorikawa, not even attempting to refute any part of the description.
- Though this might hit close to home for those who are as socially awkward as Hongo is… And it becomes Harsher in Hindsight when it becomes clear how alone Hongo is.
- The English subtitling has Ruriko describe Takeshi as a glum-chum instead of socially inept.
- Kumo Aug's Oh, Crap! moment as Kamen Rider sends him flying through the air before finishing him off with the Rider Kick is satisfying after all of his gloating before that point. The English subtitles make it amusing by juxtaposing the dawning dread in his voice with saying, "Oh, darn."Kumo Aug: Oh, darn. In the air, I'm at a great disadvantage!
- After defeating Kumo Aug, Kamen Rider starts to carry Ruriko away from the scene, similarly to the ending of Episode 1. Except in this film, Ruriko isn't unconscious."Put me down. I can walk." [opens her eye looking at Hongo; Hongo gently sets her on her feet]
- On the way to Ruriko's safehouse, Ruriko chides Takeshi for being wasteful with his prana while fighting. The camera then cuts to Takeshi and Ruriko walking down the road...as the Cyclone simply follows behind them on its own, with Takeshi's helmet hanging off on of the handlebars! There's no acknowledgement of this from either Hongo or Ruriko, which just adds to it.
- When Hongo expresses his surprise that the Midorikawas had a second safehouse, Ruriko boasts that she's always prepared, and that no one could possibly find them there while they prepare for their next move. Cue her opening the door, clearing herself and Hongo through security, and entering the house…to the sight of two government men waiting inside. Apparently, Ruriko was thinking, "no one from SHOCKER could possibly find them".
- How does Ruriko infiltrate Koumori Aug's compound? By walking up the front door and waving at the cameras in a cutesy fashion, a wide smile on her face.
- Although the amusement belies some mild Mind Screw, considering that she did this with at least four different cameras in four different locations, all at the same time. And somehow, Koumori Aug, seeing this security feed, is only annoyed.
- Turns out it's foreshadowing to her ability to hack SHOCKER technology.
- We get a scene of Sasori Aug and her minions tearing through a number of Red Shirts while Sasori laughs maniacally. Then reinforcements for the army show up and gun down her minions. Sasori keeps laughing... and gets gunned down at the end of her scene. She never even meets or fights Hongo!
- The fact that her venom containers are labeled with the English text "SAAnote KAWAII DOKU" is especially morbidly hilarious. Of course a Cute and Psycho Augment like Sasori Aug would call her incredibly-deadly poison "cute" to the point of making it a standardized label.
- When beginning their hunt for Hachi Aug, a long tracking shot follows Hongo and Ruriko as they walk through the town market, Ruriko dropping exposition all the while. When Hongo suddenly motions for her to stop, Ruriko initially thinks he's taking issue with something she said, only to follow his gaze back to discover an entire crowd of mind-controlled citizens had been slowly gathering behind them the entire time. Also doubles as an incredibly creepy moment.
- When the first confrontation goes sour, Hachi Aug seems to have the upper hand in capturing Ruriko. She has Hongo and Ruriko are in her lair, she's transformed into her full Augment form, and she has the townspeople under her control blocking off the elevator. What thwarts her from apprehending the pair? Simple: there's an open balcony, and the pair can escape since one of them is a wind-powered grasshopper mutant.Hachi Aug: Oh dear. Did I make a mistake?
- While Ruriko's working on something while camping, Hongo makes her some food. Ruriko regards the food as necessary nourishment, while Hongo advises her to savor the food, something he is unable to do now that he subsists on prana. Later, when Hachi Aug's brainwashed townsfolk encroach upon them, Hongo and Ruriko start packing up camp…but Ruriko first slurps down the food Hongo made for her.
- During a brief moment of respite in a temporary hideout, a more-irate-than-usual Ruriko complains about the smell of Hongo's suit while discussing a change of clothes, what makes it is Hongo then silently taking a quick sniff of his underarm.
- The above scene also has the normally stoic and serious Ruriko complaining about their new hideout's lack of a shower and clean clothes, much like a normal young woman would. It's such a departure from her normal behavior, one can't help but laugh.
- One can't help but notice that this scene echoes a similar scene from Shin Godzilla, when Yaguchi was told to take a shower and change his shirt. Evidently, Hongo actually took up Ruriko's demands to do so.
- When giving Ruriko a bag of new clothes, Taki feels the need to clarify that a female officer picked them out and that he hasn't seen the underwear, all while maintaining his usual stone-faced expression.
- When Hongo and Ruriko first confront Ichiro, he bluntly asks if Hongo has slept with his little sister. Hongo, who we have only seen in his own futon, denies it.
- Making it even more absurd is that Ichiro almost seems disappointed by Hongo's response and simply asks him to leave, instead of the expected "overprotective elder brother" response.Ichiro: [gathering up his rodes] Then I have no interest in you. I have things to do. You may flee. Just leave my sister there.
- Even when Takeshi tries to talk to him, Ichiro just throws him to the side, then declares that he will forget that that had happened, saying that he isn't interested in tit-for-tat.
- Making it even more absurd is that Ichiro almost seems disappointed by Hongo's response and simply asks him to leave, instead of the expected "overprotective elder brother" response.
- Unable to fight Hayato Ichimonji/Batta Aug-02 due to not having enough prana, Hongo tells his opponent "We'll settle this another time", before extracting Ruriko and himself from Ichiro's lair. Batta Aug-02 seems to interpret this as "chase Hongo and Midorikawa until the former gathers enough prana to fight at full strength, then stop their bike". Well, a few minutes after leaving enemy territory seems to count as "another time".
- Ichimonji/Batta Aug-02's dialogue with Hongo is pretty amusing when it isn't unsettling. He sounds pleased with himself for deciphering Hongo's intent with their mid-air battle.
- K.K Aug gets "mad salty" when Ichimonji/Kamen Rider breaks the mantis-side of his hybrid mask. Considering that Hongo has a broken leg and that Ruriko is bleeding out right now, this comes across as K.K being incredibly petty over having the least amount of damage.
- How does Hongo show off his leg has healed? By doing a little backflip in front of the government agents. Considering that this was after the government official had given Hongo some much-needed advice and Hongo thanking him for it, the backflip comes off as a bit of Mood Whiplash.
- Just as Hongo declares himself and Ichimonji as "Double Riders", Ichimonji agreeing and realizing that it feels right, the SHOCKER Riders' Cyclones interrupt.Kamen Rider No. 2: Yeah! ...This finally feels right.
[The SHOCKER Riders' Cyclones remotely surround the Double Riders' Cyclone.]
Kamen Rider No. 2: [as both Riders realize what's happening] Uh-oh!
[The enemy Cyclones trap the Riders and detonate, throwing the duo off but otherwise failing to kill them.] - This gem from when the Double Riders are fighting Ichiro/Kamen Rider No. 0:Ichimonji: Say, Hongo, you have an idea on what to do?
Takeshi: I do.
Ichimonji: You do?! [exasperated] Why didn't you say anything, then!? Next time, mention that before we start.
Behind the scenes:
- Some of the official behind-the-scenes videos show the actors in some silly situations.
- Video number 1
: In one of the shots from the Final Battle, Tasuku Emoto (Hayato Ichimonji/Kamen Rider No. 2) throws his head back hard enough that his mask slips up off his face.Emoto: [acting] AHH! [stops immediately] Oh, it got loose! [everyone laughs] It got loose! - From the final video: For a shot in the post-K.K Aug scene between Hongo and Ichimonji, Sosuke Ikematsu (Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider) tries to start his bike… only for it to not move.Ikematsu: How embarrassing…
- Video number 1
The game SD Shin Kamen Rider Rumble
- If you open your save file after you've downloaded the Evangelion Unit-01 DLC, a cutscene plays in the Safehouse. Takeshi and Ruriko notice something at the entrance, and a human-sized Evangelion Unit-01 runs in, stops, and roars. End cutscene. There's no explanation of this in the cutscene, which adds to the hilarious absurdity of it.
- It's the same cutscene as the one where Hayato Ichimonji arrives at the Safehouse, only instead of Ichimonji, it's an inexplicably-human-sized anti-Angel mecha who joins the team.
- The second DLC character, Shin Ultraman, maintains the stiff flying moves that he used in his movie, such as the flight pose for the midair flight move and the wheel kick he used against Gabora as a midair attack.
